'I'm Stuck' App lets you report travel failures to politicians

WASHINGTON (WUSA9/KDKA) -- If you're not moving in traffic, now there's a way for you to tell your elected officials to do something about it. It's a new app called "I'm stuck." It works for airport delays, mass transit backups, and traffic trouble spots.

One member of the group behind the app is former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell. He spoke about it with reporter KSKA Jon Delano.

Every single day tens of thousands of Americans get stuck in traffic, subways and planes because of outdated and collapsing infrastructure, too many cars, detours, repairs and poor mass transit.

Now a group called "Building America's Future," which is chaired by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Bloomberg and Ed Rendell, wants to channel any unhappiness into constructive political action.

Here's the concept:

Download a new app called "I'm Stuck" and whenever you are stuck in traffic, detours, airport delays or some infrastructure mess, click it to send a message for action to your U.S. senators and member of Congress.

Rendell says everyone should do this because those delays cost the average commuter $818.00 a year in lost time at work and home, and he told Congress that delaying passage of bills to upgrade America's infrastructure hurts the nation.

"If we want to continue to be a first rate economic power, if we want to protect our public, if we want to improve the quality of life of our citizens and our environment, if we want to create good well-paying jobs that can't be outsourced, it is time to do something," Pennsylvania's former governor testified.

The "I'm Stuck" app is easy to download on your iPhone, Android, or iPad and you can set it up to send your particular complaint to the Washington politicians you want.

"It's a great app and it's easy to use," Rendell told KDKA money editor JonDelano, "and the reason I know it's easy to use, Jon, is that I'a technological dinosaur' I can use it."

So will Congress listen? At least one senator hopes so.

"Any effort that can lead to a sense of urgency about our infrastructure problems is of great benefit," said U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.